Baby-walker.



PATENTED JULY 28, 1903.

J. L. PHILLIPS.

BABY WALKER;

APPLIOATIQR FILED 001227, 1902 N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented July 28, 1903.

JOHN LITOHFIELD PHILLIPS, OF WASHINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

BABY-WALKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters ,Patent No. 734,940, dated July 28, 1903.

Application filed October 27, 1902.I Serial No. 128,890. {N0 m 1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN LITCHFIELD PHIL- LIPS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Washington, in the county of Beaufort and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and improved Baby-Walker,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the construction and mannerof suspending baby-walkers--that is to say, devices used for encouraging children to walk.

This specification is an exact description of one example of my invention, while the claims define the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a side elevation of the invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing a fea ture of the frame or support, and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view showing the adjustment of the sling into the form of a seat.

Referring to Fig. 1, the device is supported in position by means of a swinging frame formed of a horizontinally-disposed main bar a, a verticallydisposed back bar I), and a brace c. The bar 1) extends downward from the inner end of the main bar a, and the brace 0 extends from the lower end of the bar 6 upward and outwardto approximately the middle of the main bar a, said brace being fastened to both the parts a and b, as shown.

d indicates any suitable surface to which the invention is applied. For example, cl may be taken to indicate the wall of an apartment or the side of a house, if the device be applied out of doors. Fastened in the wall or other element (1 are the two socket-pieces e, which are in vertical line with each other and which respectively receive pintles f, attached to U-shaped clampsf. These clamps are two in number, the lower clamp being fastened to the lower ends of the bar I) and brace c, and the upper clamp having, as best shown in Fig. 2, a rivet g, extending through the upper end of the back bar 6, a rivet g, extending through the inner end of the main bar a, and a rivet 9 which plays loosely in a slot a, formed in and disposed transversely of the main bar a outward from the rivet or fastening g. The rivet g mounts the main bar a on a sort of pivot on the upper clampf', and the rivet g playing through the slot a, allows the bar a to move slightly in a vertical plane. This movement is, however, restrained by the brace o and is subject to the elasticity thereof, as will be apparent. The

su pport thus mounted is free to swing through:

out one-half of a circle, assuming that the support be applied to a wall or other plane surface. By applying the device to a post the swinging movement of the support may be greatly increased.

Connected by means of a pivot-pin h to the outer end of the main bar a is a bath, which is provided at each end with any suitable form of detachable connections 'i', joining to it the straps t', which hang parallel from the ends of the bar h and have 'at their lower portions buckles F, by which the loops 2' in the lower portions of the straps may be enlarged or contracted, as desired. These loops 'i' are fastened to end straps t and said straps i are connected by rings to the waist-strap k of the sling of the device. This strap 70 is constructed wide and thick, as shown, and is properly cushioned, so that it may be drawn comparatively tight around the body of the child without annoying it.

k indicates a strap and buckle for tightening or relaxing the waist-strap k.

Attached by buckles Z to the sides of the strap is are the straps Z, which are adapted when the device is being used as a babywalker to be crossed in the manner indicated in Fig. l and passed between the legs of the child. These straps have one end fastened permanently to the waist-strap k,and the other ends are removably engaged by the buckles Z, before described.

In using-the invention the child is placed in the sling of the device in the manner above the appliance as a swing. It will be seen that the child may turn around freely by turning the bar it on the pivot h and that this movement is in addition to the swinging movement involved in the supporting-bar a. It will also be apparent that one end of a hammock may be connected to the outer end of the arm h, so that the hammock may be used with the device at the same time that the baby-sling is employed. By mounting the pivots f in the socket-pieces e on an inclined as contradistinguished from a perpendicular line the main bar a, with its attachment, willtend to swing to one side, and then by pushing the device in the direction contrary to its tendency it may be made to operate the same as an ordinary swingthat is to say, the device tending to move toward one side and being continually pushed away from this side it will involve a continuouslyswinging movement. This enables the device to be used in the manner of an ordinary swing.

Various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of my invention may be resorted to at will without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Hence I consider myself entitled to all such variations as may lie within the scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of a swinging support, comprising a main bar, a back bar, a yielding connection between the two, means for mounting the support to swing on an axis parallel to the back bar, and a sling sustained from the support.

2. The combination of a back bar, means for mounting the same to swing, a main bar having connection with the back bar, such connection allowing a slight movement of the main bar independently of the back bar, and a yielding brace interposed between the main and back bars.

3. The combination ota back bar, a socketpiece, a pivot or pintle workingin the socketpiece, a clamp attached to the pintle, said clamp being fastened rigidly to the back bar and having the main bar pivoted thereon, a brace extending between the back and main bars, and a sling supported from the outer end of the main bar.

4. The combination of a swinging support, sockets for said support, means carried by the support for engaging with said sockets whereby to permit a yielding movement of the support relative to the sockets, a sling, and means pivoted to the support for sustaining said sling, said means permitting the sling to have a turning movement on the support, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN LITOHFIELD PHILLIPS.

Witnesses:

J. F. THOMAS, J. F. BUoKMAN. 

